


took too much to ease the anger

by pettigrace



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Different First Meeting, Alternate Universe- No Supernatural, Banter, College Student Liam Dunbar, Delivery Person Theo Raeken, Driving, M/M, meet ugly
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-24
Updated: 2020-12-24
Packaged: 2021-03-10 23:47:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,627
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28285728
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pettigrace/pseuds/pettigrace
Summary: Liam has had it. He will finally confront that delivery driver who almost runs him over on a daily basis. Only that this guy looks way too good. Oh no...
Relationships: Liam Dunbar/Theo Raeken, Scott McCall & Theo Raeken & Stiles Stilinski
Comments: 6
Kudos: 45





	took too much to ease the anger

**Author's Note:**

  * For [zoeyva](https://archiveofourown.org/users/zoeyva/gifts).



> [shows up in the Thiam fandom once every 6 months with a 13k fic in tow]
> 
> And in true Yas fashion, this is also somewhat based on my real life. There's this one delivery driver who almost ran me over every day in summer, and I thought Liam could live out my imagination of confronting him. Only that Liam is even more of a mess than me, so he acted More Bisexual(TM) than I would have. And then, he hijacked the whole thing and added _plot_. That's so rude of him. Also, maybe I projected my anxiety about car rides onto him. Maybe.
> 
> If you find the very subtle Glee reference you win... nothing except the chuckle it gets out of you, I guess!
> 
> Anyway, this is a Christmas present for my dear friend Pia! I hope you'll enjoy it :)
> 
> The title is from "Wolves" by Selena Gomez & Marshmello.

A lot of people on Liam’s team - and beyond, really - have asked if he plans on going professional when it comes to Lacrosse. And honestly, he would be lying if he said it did not cross his mind.

After all, he’s constantly heard that he can’t be  _ that _ good. He probably has the talent and skill to be recruited, which might be a good Plan B. He’s even talked about it with his mom and Todd. But when he started playing, it’s been more than a hobby or passion. It’s been a tool. Both for managing his IED and to bond with his (then) new step-father. It’s worked for both pretty well, made lots of fun even.

He  _ could _ consider doing it for the rest of his life. But only next to something else. Hence why he’s studying history and taking a few archaeology classes on the side. He wants to learn about the past, to see and experience its traces in the current world. He wants to learn and travel and to pass it on, not move from town to town without really seeing anything of them. Really, what comfort would it give him? If anything, the concern that it really matters job-wise what he does out on the field could only give his mental health another trigger. Everything he picked Lacrosse up for could suddenly be in jeopardy.

So yeah, he doesn’t plan to become a professional. Not really. That doesn’t mean he doesn’t take the sport seriously. He  _ needs _ to stay on the team and he’s self-aware enough to admit that his competitive side needs him to be the best. Which is why he trains even outside of, well, regular training hours. Not much, really. He mostly goes jogging just so he won’t get his ass stuck to the couch during the semester break and he’s definitely one of many guys who hit the gym twice the week. Nothing out of the ordinary.

He’s currently on one of his morning jogs - if it can even  _ count _ as morning still. See, he’s not  _ so _ dedicated that he’ll get up any earlier than he feels like. He doesn’t leave the house before 11. Out of principle.

What’s bothersome about that, though, is that life is already busy by then. He runs into several people - thankfully not literally anymore, it’s been enough when he’s knocked the old lady who owns the kiosk around the corner to the ground -, both that he knows and that he doesn’t. The fact that they frequently greet each other makes him feel like he does know them by now, kind of. At least their routines around this time. There’s the lovely couple down the street whose child has just learnt to take her first steps, so they walk up and down their front yard with her for practice. They’re always adorably excited and the kid’s chuckle warms his heart every time. It helps that it’s directed at him, too, when the girl spots him jogging by. Sometimes she tries to follow him even. He knows the kiosk lady, of course, and the guy who does push ups in his garden and boxes against his shadow. Liam can see him because his fence isn’t any taller than 50 inches. He’s learnt that he only has it to keep his small dog in check because it always keeps barking at Liam when he passes the property. There’s the nice lady who’s always out getting a tan and asks him if he wants something to drink every day. He also declines every day, but feels bad when she looks genuinely disappointed. Still, he doesn’t want to have to pause his jogging to go pee or something. In short, he’s become quite familiar with the people on his route; he just doesn’t know their names, but that’s fine. He doesn’t plan on becoming friends with them.

And he definitely doesn’t plan on becoming friends with that weirdo of a delivery man whom he frequently almost gets run over by. It’s not even like he can take a detour or time his jog differently, because this dude doesn’t have a fixed schedule either. Every day, Liam sees him at a different location (though in his neighbourhood, yeah), and everyday he almost gets run over. 

At first he thought maybe the guy is new to his job - or driving a vehicle in general - since he doesn’t look much older than him. By now he's convinced that the guy is just an absolutely ruthless driver. And an asshole. Because every time Liam catches his eye after almost being  _ killed _ , the dude has the audacity to  _ grin _ at him. At least he thinks so; it's difficult to really make out a face there. And he's seen something like it more than once, so there must be some truth behind it.

The first time Liam thought it was apologetic - and maybe it was. He doesn’t know. It was charming, too, the kind of smile you’d think about the entire day afterwards. (Maybe he’d done it, sue him. He can’t help liking pretty guys, can he?) The second time was the same, but it kept happening and Liam started seeing the grin for what it was: mischievous. If the dude doesn’t mean to kill him intentionally - which, considering the amount of times they had such a close encounter, would be a miracle, really - then he certainly wouldn’t mind having blood on his hands, Liam is sure. 

Well, it’s a known fact that Liam  _ literally _ is no stranger to having other people’s blood on his hands.

Sure, it’s gotten much better recently and it’s not like Liam  _ enjoys _ his anger fits - he hates them, really; hates how he loses control and lashes out even thought a more rational part of his brain is screaming in the background for him to stop, tells him that he’s overreacting but it’s like his body is moving on its own - but he’d be lying if he claimed that there won’t be a small part of him that would be happy about it afterwards, if he were to beat up this guy. Because man, he totally has it coming. Really, Liam thinks it could qualify as self-defense if he kicked the dude’s ass some time.

Yep, and safe as hell, there’s suddenly a familiar delivery van driving by so close to the sidewalk that it just  _ can’t _ be on accident. Seriously, there’s only inches between the car and the stripe of green between the street and pathway that it can’t be anything but planning. 

This dude is out to kill Liam, specifically. He’s sure. There’s no other explanation. 

He catches the guy’s grin before he continues to drive off, far out of Liam’s reach, which is really just sheer luck. Because now, instead of pulling him out of his vehicle and punching him right in that pretty face of his, Liam is left with standing there and glaring after him.

Better luck next time.

-

Of course there is a next time. 

Okay, so maybe Liam was exaggerating when he said it happened  _ every _ day, but the point is that it’s happening frequently. Not every day and maybe not every week, but it’s happened more than five times and that alone is weird as hell. How does that Doofenshmirtz meme go again? Well, anyway. It’s like that.

The thing is: While Liam absolutely hates these near death experiences, he’s become kind of used to it. He knows to look out for the van while he’s on his jogging route and that’s about it. Sure, he has to look out during its entirety because, as mentioned, it’s not like there’s a specific meeting point or something, but there’s a sense of continuity.

The asshole of a driver has to ruin it, of course. Like a bad tv show that keeps forgetting its old storylines, he just breaks off the script. Without even asking.

It’s just plain rude, if you ask Liam. Like, almost even ruder than the whole thing in itself. Because Liam is supposed to be prepared for almost being run over in his  _ neighbourhood _ , not in the middle of the city. It’s completely wrong.

So it’s only completely natural that Liam has enough. There’s an arrangement they’ve come to all silently, and he won’t tolerate that dude breaking it. That just doesn’t fly. Without thinking, he storms towards where the vehicle has stopped by now. The guy’s already jumped out of it, but that’s alright. Liam can wait. 

He’s like a dangerous animal and the guy is his prey, so he can totally be as patient as he needs to be. That delivery dude shouldn’t have provoked - no,  _ attacked _ him if he can’t deal with the consequences, so he shouldn’t even be surprised to find Liam waiting. 

And his anger doesn’t  _ go away _ in the minutes until the guy comes up to him. It’s still there, clawing in his chest and waiting to be released, but somehow it’s… not as urgent. He feels his breathing get calmer and--  _ well _ , it wasn’t like he had one of his IED anger fits, because he’s been way too concentrated for that. When he’s in one of those, it’s always like his body acts by itself, his brain shutting off and letting the fists rule. A lot of times he really doesn’t  _ think _ while punching whatever’s in his way. Now he’s had a plan and waited to confront the guy, so it’s not the same. But as he calms down now, and realizes how stupid that had been - like,  _ what _ had he even planned to do to that guy? It’s not like he could have beaten him up just like that - he almost feels like he does when calming down from an IED fit, with thinking logically all of a sudden and all.

The delivery guy doesn’t seem to recognize him. Maybe he tries to kill too many people on the daily, Liam doesn’t know. All he knows is that he gets a small smile that looks more fake than anything else when the guy comes up to his vehicle and finds him standing there. “Sorry, I don’t accept packages,” he says off-handedly, pulling open his door without even stopping to take a second glance. “You should go to a post office.”

Liam doesn’t even know how to respond to this, actually. Like, just  _ how many _ people do you have to almost run over to just go on with your day when one of them is waiting for you at your van? Shit, he was kidding before, but now he really wonders about that.

When he doesn’t say anything, the guy stops in his movements. It should look funny, actually, with one leg propped up on the single stair leading up to the driver’s cab, his arms wide where he wanted to push himself up on them. It doesn’t, though. No, the fabric of his uniform hugs his body quite nicely and when Liam looks him up and down, he doesn’t even have to  _ imagine _ where his muscles are or what size they have. 

“Do you  _ want _ anything?” The guy asks. He puts his foot down on the ground again and turns towards Liam, which makes his muscles less apparent, but the shirt still clings to his biceps like it’s gonna burst any second. 

Liam practically has to tear his eyes from where the fabric cuts into the guy’s skin and looks up to meet his eyes. And though he looks both concerned and annoyed at the same time, Liam finds himself stopping short because above all things, he looks  _ good _ . Before, whenever he’s caught a glimpse of this delivery driver, it had been while he was speeding away or the sun was set at an angle that made it almost impossible to look inside the car - and what kind of supervillain planning is  _ that _ even? - so now he’s getting the full experience for the first time. There’s sharp angles and soft cheeks and a dark stubble and…  _ eyes _ . There’s so many colours in them, Liam feels like he’s looking into a kaleidoscope. It doesn’t matter that they get smaller and smaller as the guy considers getting away, probably.

“Uh,” he makes intelligently. Suddenly, deep in his bones, he feels another reason for not letting him off the hook so easily. The question, however, is  _ how _ . “You, uh--”

“Look, unless I fucked up a delivery or something, I don’t have business with whatever complaint you got,” the guy says, growing more impatient. Seriously, it’s only missing that he taps his invisible watch or whatever. “I’m running on a schedule, you know,” he adds for good measure. He doesn’t look any older than Liam, actually, but he sure knows how to look at him like he’s an annoying child.

It’s enough to remind Liam what he came here for in the first place. A small flare of… not  _ anger _ , but irritation, sparks up in his chest and he shakes the daze off himself. “You almost  _ killed _ me!” He declares, pointing his finger for good measure. 

The guy doesn’t look  _ surprised _ , not really, but he leans backwards a little so that Liam won’t stab him in the chest. His gaze falls down to Liam’s hand and then to his face again, all the while his eyebrows raised and mouth slightly open. Then, within the blink of an eye, the expression fades and gets replaced by a small smirk. “You look pretty good for a half-dead guy, then.”

Liam splutters for just a second. It’s his brain’s fault, really, for jumping from one focus to the other. Like, how it could really overlook how good this dude looks when he’s clearly an asshole  _ and _ a danger to all the people around him. And yet, for a moment he wonders if that was a compliment. He shakes it off as quickly as it has come. “Yeah, thanks to my  _ good reflexes _ !” He spats. “You drive like hell, man! You know how often you almost ran me over?”

“Don’t be in my way,” the guy shrugs. He’s already halfway turned around again, like that’s the ending of the conversation for him and he can set off into the sunset or something. 

“I  _ wasn’t _ !” Liam insists. “You always appear out of nowhere - and probably _ above the speed limit _ !”

Delivery Guy sends a look to the sky, like there’s a god just waiting to be summoned by him. It’s a pity he doesn’t work for Hermes, because then Liam could make a joke about that. “Look, like I told you: I got a whole lot of packages to bring around. So maybe I speed a little. Can’t blame me for that,” he explains with a sigh. “And I really need to get going, so unless you want to continue that conversation inside the car, I’ll leave now.”

He doesn’t even wait for an answer. Instead, he does finally climb up into his van, pulling the door closed behind him. Liam doesn’t even have the  _ option _ to react.

Or maybe… maybe he does. Because as quickly as this dude may drive, he takes a moment to start the car. Liam has no idea if that’s because it’s so old or if he’s doing anything other than turning the key in there, but it gives him enough time to sprint around it and pull open the passenger’s door. 

“What the--” The guy makes, looking up at him. He was just about to start the engine, judging by his hand on the key. “What the hell, man?”

Liam wastes no time jumping up into the seat and closing the seatbelt around him. “You said I could come with,” he simply says.

“Pretty sure I didn’t.”

Liam huffs. “You offered to finish the conversation in here!”

“I wasn’t being  _ serious _ !” The guy counters, letting out a small - but fairly evil - laugh. 

“Well, you didn’t make  _ that _ clear.”

“I don’t think I’m allowed to have you in here even if I wanted to.” Delivery Guy’s voice is even and serious now, but he’s biting his lip and tilting his head towards the door, obviously trying to animate him to leave.

Liam crosses his arms. “You aren’t allowed to  _ speed _ either,” he declares. “And didn’t you say you’re in a hurry? Why are you waiting, then?” He grins, proud at throwing those words back into his new friend/enemy’s face. 

Who narrows his eyebrows in return, grumbling something that’s inaudible for Liam. Then, he does finally turn the key, bringing the loud roaring of the engine to life. “If I get into trouble for this, I  _ will _ kill you,” he promises grimly. 

Somehow, though, Liam’s grin only widens.

-

Maybe it’s Liam’s own fault. If he hadn’t held up the guy for so long, then maybe he wouldn’t have to speed  _ so _ much. He’s pretty sure he’s never been in a vehicle that reaches such a tempo, which is honestly a miracle, given that the van looks like it’s gonna fall apart any second. This is, like, five times as fast as it has ever been while almost killing him. He sees streets and people fly by and  _ seriously _ wonders how the dude even knows where he’s going.

He also hasn’t managed to say anything yet, trying to keep his breakfast inside himself. And yeah, it’s the opposite of why he’s even come on board, but… speaking’s just not on the table.

For him, at least. Next to him, his new  _ enemy _ \- that’s what he’s settled on now that he’s experiencing his driving style first-hand - chuckles when he throws a glance sideways and, undoubtedly, sees Liam’s face be white as snow. “Relax,” he says easily. “I’m a good driver.”

Liam can’t help but let out a dry laugh. “Are-- are you being followed?” He finally presses out. “Is that why you’re driving like  _ your _ life’s in danger if you stop?”

“It is if I lose this job,” comes the dry answer. At least he doesn’t look away from the road.

There’s so much pressure behind it that Liam does stay quiet. Only for so long, though, because the driver gets dangerously close to the sidewalk once and he can’t stop a small whimper from escaping his lips. He does flinch immediately afterwards, because he really doesn’t want anyone’s anger directed at him for  _ so _ many reasons.

“For fuck’s sake--” The guy sighs at that, lifting a hand from the wheel to massage the bridge of his nose. Liam fights back the sound at the back of his throat upon seeing him do that. “What’s your name again?”

“Huh?” Liam produces now.

“Your name.”

“Oh. It’s Liam. Dunbar,” he adds out of habit. Maybe he’s delivered something to his house once. Liam’s never ordered something that got delivered by this company himself, but maybe his mom or step-father did and he caught his name on the doorbell.

There is, however, no sign of recognition on his face. Liam isn’t sure if that’s a good thing or not. “Theo,” he declares instead. Thankfully, he doesn’t take a hand off the wheel again to shake his or something. Liam’s pretty sure he’d have a heart attack if he did. “Now, Liam, I’ll tell you again: First, I’m a good driver, second, I have a schedule and third,  _ you _ are the one who hopped on board without even  _ asking _ .”

Liam opens his mouth to counter, but when he finds that, theoretically, Theo is correct, he closes it again. Still, even though all of that is correct, there’s no reason to  _ speed _ like that,  _ Jesus Christ _ . “So… Where are we heading?”

Theo raises an eyebrow in question.

“Your next stop,” Liam elaborates, using the same tone that Theo had earlier. Yeah, he can be rude, too.

To his surprise - and…  _ can _ he actually already talk about surprises? It’s not like he knows the dude at all, but so far he has been  _ nothing  _ but rude, so he guesses he has a point - Theo doesn’t tell him to shut up or anything. He doesn’t even roll his eyes. Instead, he simply tells him the address without any hesitation.

Liam can’t even try to hide his frown. “Why aren’t you heading  _ there _ then?” Man, no wonder Theo has to rush around. If he takes detour after detour he  _ would _ need hours to get from one place to the other.

“What? I am.”

“Dude, I don’t know  _ what _ you’re doing, but you’re driving, like, all around that street,” Liam huffs. He finally dares to turn around in his seat, just to watch another street they could have taken to reach their destination more easily rush by. “Seriously, you’re taking routes like you have no idea about this town.”

Theo scoffs, somehow filling a single sound with a load of offense. “I grew up here,” he says between clenched teeth. The way it comes out sounds like he’s clinging unto the fact, somehow.

“Didn’t think too much of street names, then?” Liam guesses. He knows from Cory - Mason’s boyfriend - that that’s not too off. You tell the dude which avenue to meet at and he’ll blank, but if you drop even the smallest business’s name, he could basically draw you a map to it. Maybe it’s the same for Theo and he actually has to guess his way around.

“No,” Theo sighs. He actually slows down, too, which Liam almost considers a miracle. “It’s-- I only came back to Beacon a few months ago. Lots of things changed.” Somehow it sounds like an admission, like it’s a burden that he’d… what, moved away? 

“Oh.” Liam remembers that there were lots of construction sites when he moved to Beacon Hills years ago, turning fields into new apartment complexes and neighbourhoods. He supposes they added new streets that he’s known right from the start and Theo had no clue about. Probably still doesn’t have a clue about. Which would explain why he circles around town instead of taking direct routes. Carefully, he tries, “Yeah, there’s, uh, a lot of shortcuts now.”

_ Something _ in Theo’s face quirks. Liam’s not sure if it’s the eye section or his mouth or just his cheek, but he somehow realizes that Theo is debating whether to tell him to go fuck himself or to ask him about it. A part of Liam feels sadistically proud of having achieved such a reaction from him, for some reason. And it seems like his assessment has been correct; the fact that Theo had left Beacon in the first place hasn’t been his decision, probably. Which makes absolute sense. Theo’s roughly his age, so if he’d left Beacon years ago, probably even before Liam moved here, then he’d have been a child. He’s probably been forced to leave all his friends behind, Liam thinks sadly.

Still, even if  _ his _ mind has concluded to feel a little sorry for the guy, it doesn’t mean  _ Theo’s _ come to a decision yet. He still looks like he’s thinking about kicking Liam out of the car. And as far as he’s gotten to know him by now, Liam fears that  _ if _ he did it, he wouldn’t even stop driving.

“I, uh, I could give you a few pointers?” He offers, trying not to offend him. Somehow he feels like Theo doesn’t get offended in general, though, but more like… pissed off. There’s a lot that annoys him, probably. Or a lot about Liam, at least.

Which is why he’s met with a Death Glare. Seriously, even just from the corner of his eyes, Liam fears Theo might send over lightning bolts any second now. “If you know your way around so well, why aren’t  _ you _ the one driving around?”

“Well, I don’t have a license,” Liam admits. Even with therapy and meds, his anger management is… well, not the best, so his parents decided it might be for the best to erase even the faintest hint of road rage he could experience. (Look how well  _ that _ turned out, mom. He isn’t even the one driving and yet he’s almost punched a guy.) Not that he’d want to tell Theo any of that, though, so he straightens his back and clears his throat, and points out, “And  _ you _ are the one who just said he’s dependent on the job!”

He’s hit a wound spot with that, apparently, because Theo just clicks his tongue. He stays silent for a moment then, before mumbling, “The town can’t have changed  _ that _ much.” His voice is so quiet that Liam thinks he probably wasn’t supposed to hear.

“Look-- take a left there?” Liam prompts. When Theo doesn’t change anything about their direction, he nudges his arm - softly, because he knows Theo’s still driving a murderous vehicle - and adds, “Come on, humour me.”

“Sure,” Theo snorts. “You climb into my van and  _ I’m _ the one who has to humour you.” 

Liam’s just about to point out  _ again _ that Theo had  _ invited _ him along but stops short when he catches a smirk on the guy’s face. And yeah, he had noticed before that Theo isn’t just  _ hot _ but  _ pretty _ , too, but seeing mischief spread across his face like that adds a whole other note to it. It looks foreign and in-place at the same time, like that’s an expression he used to wear often but hasn’t in quite some time; it makes Liam onder about the life Theo leads. What kind of jokes it usually takes to coax that smile out. And for another stupid second, Liam envisions himself try to hex it on there time after time.

It’s stupid because it’s not like he has a single clue about Theo at all, but that thought sends a wave of warmth through his stomach. Honestly, if he  _ actually _ had that sly grin focused on  _ him _ , if  _ he _ was the cause for it, he would--

It’s a face carved by the devil himself, Liam figures out in the next moment. Within the blink of an eye and without any kind of warning, Theo does turn into the street he had pretty much already passed. It’s such a sharp turn that the van almost doubles over, Liam is sure, given that even with the seatbelt put on tightly he slips in his seat. He lets out a somewhat unmanly yelp and decides that the sound of Theo’s gleeful laughter has been created by demons, too.

His chest is still heaving by the time they’re back on four wheels and Liam feels his heartbeat on the roof of his  _ mouth _ . “ _ Dude _ ,” he breathes, “What the  _ fuck _ ?”

“You told me to turn,” Theo says nonchalantly, but the smirk is still in place. So murder plans are what causes that then, good to know. “Not my fault you’re such a drama queen.”

“I’m not--!”

The expression on Theo’s face sombers somewhat. He licks his lip - a movement that Liam does  _ not _ echo, thank you very much (at this point, he’s pretty sure Theo is his archenemy sent by whatever entity may be up there) - and then says, dryly, “Liam, please look at the tachometer.”

“What?”

“Your turn to humour me,” Theo says, and somehow he makes it sound like a threat.

Reluctantly, Liam leans over. He’s met with Theo’s intense scent, which is already faintly spread around the whole car, but now it’s something else. He can practically taste the hint of cologne and sweat on his tongue, even though he’s far from even touching any part of Theo’s body, and finds it… attractive. Man, that’s so weird. Mentally he shakes his head to himself and concentrates on the tachometer.

“What does it say?” Theo demands, like he can’t see it next to Liam’s head. He sounds impatient and teasing.

“... 30,” Liam says. The number doesn’t sound too high, actually, and the trees haven’t rushed by too fast, else he wouldn’t have agreed to look anywhere but the road. 

“And what’s the speed limit here?” Theo asks in the same tone.

Liam’s a pedestrian usually. Maybe a biker, if he’s in a rush. Whatever the speed limit is, he’s pretty sure he wouldn’t ever be able to reach it unless he’s hit by a lightning bolt or something. So he lifts his head a little, trying to find a sign somewhere.

Theo interprets the pause correctly, as it seems. “It’s 25,” he tells him. “I’m barely above it.”

“You  _ shouldn’t _ be above it!”

“You’re not supposed to go much below either,” Theo snorts. Liam’s not sure if he’s lying, but it’s not like he can argue. He has no idea.

Finally, Liam sits up properly again. He crosses his arms in front of his chest. “Okay, so maybe you’re driving okay  _ now _ .” Which doesn’t mean he  _ hadn’t _ been speeding.

Before he can say so, though, Theo lets out a sigh. “Come on, tell me where to go next. You wanted to play GPS.”

“Why don’t you have one?” Liam wants to know. 

He’s triggered Theo’s frustration again. At this point he wonders if  _ he _ isn’t the one with the anger problem. “I don’t need a  _ GPS _ to get around  _ Beacon Hills _ ,” he says between clenched teeth.

Liam refrains from answering that, apparently, he  _ does _ . To him, it sounds like Theo is somewhat bothered about the town having moved on without him. Briefly, Liam wonders if he’d feel the same about the place he and his mom used to live. He’s actually found himself belonging to Beacon pretty easily - maybe because he’s known Mason before - so it’s not like he’s missing anything in particular. Especially not his house; that’s too full of memories of his father. Maybe Theo hadn’t been as lucky when he moved away from Beacon Hills - maybe he’s desperate to get back to fitting in like he did as a kid. 

Again, Liam finds himself  _ wanting _ to figure out all of this. Figure out  _ Theo _ . Which is ridiculous, considering Theo looks like he’d love to kill him. (Not to mention the many times that he almost  _ did _ .)

He doesn’t know why exactly, but a voice inside of him tells him to follow suit. That way he could get into Theo’s good graces. Another voice sounds more like his teammate Brett teasingly adds, ‘and into his  _ pants _ .’ Liam wishes he could tell him to shut up. It’s not even like it’s particularly wrong or anything, sadly.

So he tells Theo which ways to turn and whatnot. The fact that he doesn’t speed anymore, well, Liam takes it as a sign that he trusts his instructions to really be faster. He certainly huffs in surprise a few times and Liam guesses these are the streets that truly are completely foreign to him. 

“That’s the one,” Liam says, careful but proud, when they take their last right turn. Half of him feels like boasting because he’s proven Theo wrong and the other half feels like running because… well,  _ he’s proven Theo wrong _ . He feels like his new frenemy is one of those people who  _ always _ have to be right - and not in the way that Mason is, with him ending up staying awake the whole night to research the truth and find out what he remembered wrong. Theo seems more like the type who’d get  _ angry _ . And it’s not just that Liam has seen those  _ arms _ and thinks that Theo could throw punches really well, but there’s also the fact that being dragged into a fight could  _ actually _ make Liam  _ fight _ and that’s  _ not good _ .

Not just because Liam doesn’t want to have blood on his hands but because it would be apity if Theo honestly ended up hating him. There’s something captivating about him that he hopes to unwrap. Punching him in the face, even if that had been his  _ original plan _ , certainly wouldn’t help with that.

“I saw,” Theo replies. He doesn’t sound too happy about it, but there isn’t real anger in his voice either. A bit of annoyance, but that’s something Liam can deal with. He’s found, in the past, that people only  _ pretend _ to be annoyed by him and are secretly amused, if not enamoured.

Liam’s mind - unhelpful as always - supplied that he’d actually prefer the latter. He tells his inner vocie to fuck off and concentrates instead on the house numbers to help Theo find the right one.

Thankfully, it  _ is _ Theo who discovers it. Liam feels like he’d have pushed his luck if he had robbed that little victory of him, too. 

Theo gives him a long look once he’s stopped the car and Liam’s not really sure what’s  _ in _ his eyes. It’s almost like there’s no emotion behind them, but there’s a little flicker, too, like he’s thinking or calculating. All it achieves, though, is that Liam squirms uncomfortable. So much, actually, that Theo pulls away shortly thereafter and leaves out nothing but a sigh.

Then, still without any kind of comment, he opens his door and jumps out of the van. For lack of anything better to do, Liam pulls out his phone after having listened to Theo pull open the can’s back and shift through the packages.

Mason hasn’t asked where he is yet, which is a little offensive if you ask Liam, but it gives him the opportunity to excuse himself without it becoming a  _ thing _ , hopefully. And even if Mason gets pissed, once Liam tells him there was a hot guy involved he’ll understand.

Theo closes the door with such a loud noise that Liam wonders if he wants him to go deaf or something. Or maybe he wants to create some kind of special announcement for his arrival… or the door is just as old as the rest of the can and doesn’t close without using force. Whatever the reason, Theo rounds the vehicle without so much as a glance back and heads towards the house’s door, package under his arm.

Liam wonders what he does with big packages. This one is relatively small and probably light, too, but the way he holds it  _ does _ make Theo’s biceps bulge. He must work out regularly, Liam figures, given its size. Huge packages probably wouldn’t be much of a problem. Still, a part of him would like to see how he does that - just to offer his help if needed, of course.

He watches as Theo talks to the girl who opened the door. She’s sporting a huge grin, which must be the result of a familiar expression from Theo because there’s no way she would her face from slipping if he scowled at her. Liam notes that he has yet to see Theo  _ actually _ smile; it’s rude that he’d show it to a random girl but not to the guy who’s practically become his navigator. He watches as the girl’s eyes follow Theo when he bends down to put the package on the ground, sweeping over his figure, and how she bites her lip when he offers her that device for her signature.

To Liam’s delight, her flirting doesn’t work, though, because Theo doesn’t keep standing there to talk to her. He simply nods at her as he pockets the device and sets off to get back to the car.

Maybe he would have liked to, though, come to think of it. Maybe he’s only going back to the van so soon because he knows Liam’s waiting. For all he knows, the main reason for Theo’s speeding around is because he keeps flirting with the people he delivers packages to. 

And Liam can’t blame either of them, not when Theo looks like he does. He hasn't even seen any real positive expression on him and can’t help but imagine the charme he must possess when he wants. Plus, when he thinks about it, Liam feels a little sutpid for where his thoughts have been going before. Not just because he’s only just met Theo or because the whole time had been filled with underlying threats but… because he doesn’t even have a clue if Theo is into  _ guys _ .

The only bad thing about constantly being surrounded by queer people: you forget that straight people exist.

Well… he sure hopes that Theo isn’t one of them.That would be, like, a crime against humanity, really. Or Liam specifically. Ugh, he starts to sound like Brett.

He tries to shake that line of thought off while Theo climbs back into his seat. It’s not like he even has any right to look at him in  _ that _ way or anything. Or that he meant to. He just… kinda ended up sitting in his van, that’s all.

Theo gives another sigh, one that confirms Liam’s suspicion that he’s  _ not _ doing his job because it’s his true passion. Maybe Theo would have liked to become a driver on Formula 1.

Liam feels a little awkward watching him flip through the papers on a clipboard, so he dares to ask, “So… um, where to next?”

Theo doesn’t reply at once but keeps looking at the paper for a moment longer. “Something else on this street,” he says with a huff, “and then Lexington Avenue.”

Liam nods almost automatically. “That’s not too far,” he says, trying to make it sound neutral. There’s a chance that Theo knows his way around this neighbourhood; that just the way towards it hadn’t been on his radar. He doesn’t want to underestimate him, and this time not only because he’s scared of how he might react.

“Didn’t even know Beacon had any fucking Avenues,” Theo grumbles under his beath.

Liam probably wasn’t supposed to hear it but he replies anyway. “I’ll tell you how to get there,” he promises. “They added this whole block while you were gone, I guess?”

“Yeah,” Theo answers grimly. Which surprises Liam, to be honest. He’d thought that  _ if _ he got an answer, he’d be told to fuck off. Instead, while he starts the car, Theo adds, “This used to be a huge corn field,” in a wistful voice, gesturing out the window.

“Really?” Liam can’t help but ask. They’re still fairly close to the inner parts of the town where house is piled after house and street chases street. There are fields, too, of course, but they are all on the outskirts. On one side is the forest, on the other fields. That’s the Beacon Hills he knows. It’s difficult to imagine it differently.

“Yeah,” Theo says again, this time a bit lighter and accompanied by a nod. “You should have seen the crop circles my friends and I faked.” The mischievous grin of his is back in place as he remembers. Liam kinda wants to hear all about it now.

Before he can articulate that in any way, though, Theo stops the van again. Liam hadn’t even noticed that he was keeping an eye out for the next house number, but apparently he must have. There’s a chance that Liam was too focused on Theo’s mouth instead of his eyes.

“Sorry,” Theo declares this time and gets out of the van without waiting for an answer.

Liam takes it as an opportunity to check his phone again. This time there  _ is _ a message from Mason, and one from his mom, too. The latter just needs a quick answer that she doesn’t need to wait for him for lunch. Mason, however, won’t be so easy to shut up.

Suddenly he acts all offended that Liam didn’t show up, even though he hadn’t even asked before. Liam promises to explain in the evening. Then, in another message, he adds that it’s a long story. Another message adds that that story is still going on. That should - hopefully - satisfy him for now.

Theo is faster now than at the last stop; maybe there wasn’t some girl holding him up now by trying to get with him. Liam just so manages to squeeze his phone back into his pocket when he pulls the door open. “Okay,” Theo says, again with a small sigh in his voice. “Now--”

He pauses, a frown on his face, and without thinking, Liam says, “Lexington.”

“Right,” Theo nods. “Sounds like a TV show character.”

He sounds like he has a specific one in mind, actually, and while Liam has no idea who that might be, he finds himself chuckling. “I could ask my friend about that,” he says. At Theo’s raising of an eyebrow, he explains, “Mason - my best friend - lives close by. He’s probably already looked it up one night when insomnia hit.” He isn’t even exaggerating right now, not that Theo would know. It could be either magic or disastrous if the two of them met, Liam imagines.

“Huh,” Theo makes. Somehow the sound doesn’t fit him. It's not surprise, exactly, but enough of it that Liam can a) be confused as to why it’s there and b) decide that it shouldn't be there. So far, Theo somehow seemed like a person who is prepared for anything.

Just look at how well he does with Liam randomly ending up in his car! Which is, of course, the very moment where he decides to ruin it. 

Theo licks his lip for the briefest moment and then his eyes flicker over to Liam. “So, do you want to…” He starts, unsure how to phrase it. “I mean, you’d probably rather hang out with your friend. I can drop you off at his place.”

It’s a kind offer, actually, and something in his voice reassures Liam, despite everything, that this isn’t a ploy to get rid of him. It’s really just a suggestion,like it’s something to make up for Liam’s help.

“Uh, no. It’s cool,” he answers quickly.

Theo’s cheek quirks a little, but then he turns his head and directly looks at Liam. “I  _ can _ do my job on my own, you know.”

Liam can’t help but grin as he teases, “You’re faster with me, though.” He ignores Theo’s exasperated look and adds, “But no, seriously, it’s cool. I’m pretty sure Mason’s with his boyfriend now anyway, so I really couldn’t have anything better to do.”

“You sure?” Theo asks. He’s turned back to the front again, his hand on the key. Liam thinks he sports another small smile tugging on his lip and feels proud for being the reason it’s there.

“Sure,” he nods. “Someone’s gotta make sure you don’t kill anyone.”

Theo just snorts in return and starts the engine.

-

  
  


They manage to find Lexington Avenue quite easily, given that it’s only a few streets away. There’s not even any underlying threats colouring their, admittedly short, conversation and Liam doesn’t find the silence in-between all that awkward. Theo still doesn’t say anything when he leaves the van, but he figured that isn’t because he’s being rude or anything. It’s more like he doesn’t find it necessary when it’ll only take a few minutes. That might just be valid in Liam’s book.

It takes even less time. Theo’s back almost as fast as he had gone, sweeping his hair out of his eyes when he comes back to the van. Liam kind of hates the way he looks in that moment.

Once he’s back inside, Theo leans forward, reaching for the small compartment under the radio. Liam hadn’t even seen it until now, but following his hand movement with his eyes, he notices that’s where Theo stores his wallet and phone, the latter of which he takes out of it now. 

“Time for a break,” he announces, checking the time on his phone. He fumbles on it a bit more as he continues, “Do you like Mexican? I know this kosher burrito place. Not sure if they’re halal, too, though.”

“Uh…” Truth be told, Liam didn’t even know there _was_ such a thing as _kosher_ _burritos_ , not to mention that it exists in Beacon, but now he’s curious. “Yeah, sure.”

“Nice,” Theo nods. “Little warning, though, the guys working there are a little crazy. And I mean crazier than  _ just jumping into your van and demanding they can boss you around _ .” He chugs his phone back into place, with the upside turned to the ceiling, and Liam spots a sticker of a rainbow flag at the back of it. There’s a chance, naturally, that he just liked the colours (even though, given the vibes he’d gotten from Theo so far, that doesn’t fit to him) or he’s… simply an ally. Yeah. Still, something inside of Liam feels, well, hopeful.

“That’s  _ so _ not what happened,” Liam insists, once again, when he’s sobered up but he doesn’t get any further since Theo already turns on the van again.

-

The  _ place _ that Theo knows, as it turns out, is truly just a food truck. An old and battered one, that has a certain charm to it. The colour looks fairly fresh - there’s lines of where it dropped to places it probably wasn’t meant to be, which tells him Theo’s friend must have painted it themself.

“Don’t expect too much,” Theo warns him, an ironic subtone to his voice. Yeah, there probably  _ isn’t _ much to expect. Still kind of an asshole move of him to say that about his friend’s (Liam’s unsure about that, though) place.

Liam snorts. “I hope your connections make it free.”

“Don’t worry, I’m paying,” Theo decides. He reaches for his things again and climbs out of the van without even waiting for Liam’s answer. Which… Well, Liam’s not even sure what he  _ would _ have answered. He sure as hell hadn’t anticipated that Theo would offer to pay his lunch. Or, more like,  _ announce _ that he’d do it. 

Something inside of him likes the direction this is going, though. Even if he’s not sure if he is getting in over his head. He might just be. Mason’s always said he’s prone to exaggerating and jumping to conclusions and all that jazz. 

He draws in a deep breath and then exits the car as well. Compared to the air inside the van, the outside hits him like a cool breeze. Maybe the answer to all of Theo’s problems would be asking for a newer model, actually. That would probably also have some kind of system included that would stop the car from going too fast. Amused by that thought, he trots after Theo. 

They get in line, where Theo doesn’t elaborate on how he knows the… what, owner? Waiter? Instead, he lets his eyes swipe over the menu that’s scribbled on the vehicle, right next to the window. Liam follows his example. He’ll definitely take up Theo's offer of paying for him, because he thinks he kinda deserves compensation. Not just for navigating him today but for all the times he’s almost been run over. Still, he’ll probably take something cheaper, just to be at least a little polite. His mom would kill him if he went around being an asshole.

When they move up to the counter, Liam spots the cashier who somehow looks vaguely familiar. Tousled dark hair above a round face, speckled with moles. He grins a little when his eyes set on them. “Hey, it’s Theo!” He yells over his shoulder before looking back at them. “You’re earlier than usually, man.”

“Yeah,” Theo says with a huff. “Got through my list quicker.” No mention of  _ why _ , though. Liam feels a little offended.

Before he can say anything about that, though, another guy makes his way to the front. And now Liam  _ definitely _ knows that he  _ is _ familiar. He’d recognize that white grin anywhere. “Oh, hey, Scott,” he makes without even thinking about it. 

He can  _ feel _ Theo whip his head around to stare at him.

“Liam!” Scott makes, oblivious to the whole thing. “What’s up? Didn’t know you knew Theo.” Which makes sense because while they do chat occasionally, it almost never goes beyond Lacrosse. Because that’s what they know each other from - last semester, Scott’s helped Coach Finstock with training. That’s also why the other guy looks so familiar: he’s picked up Scott a few times, always a little earlier and watching them play. 

“I met him today,” Theo states. 

“After you’ve tried to kill me the whole summer,” Liam counters. Today was just the first time that they’ve  _ spoken _ , but he’s seen Theo’s face too often already to agree that they only  _ met _ today.

The cashier lets out a dry laugh at that. “Yeah, that’s kinda his thing,” he nods. He gives Theo another look, one that has a message stitched into it. Liam recognizes that from the way he and Mason communicate sometimes, and even though he has no idea what’s being talked about  _ right now _ , it tells him that Theo and these guys must be close, actually.

Even Scott’s thrown a confused look in Theo’s direction, but he doesn’t seem to be as curious as the other guy is. Either that or he is simply more patient. He even goes for a distraction. “So, Theo... your usual?”

“Yeah. And--” He turns to Liam, prompting him to add his order. There’s quite a surprised look on the cashier’s face.

“Uh, number 3, please,” he says after giving the menu another once-over. He’d pretty much forgotten what they even came here for, too focused on seeing Theo interact with others. Thankfully there’s nobody in line behind them, so it’s not like he’s holding up anything.

“Coming right up,” Scott says. There’s his big grin again before he turns back to where the stove must be. 

His friend next to him looks like he’d love to add something, but Theo’s already pulling at Liam’s arm. With so much force, actually, that he has no choice but to follow. One point for his wondering about how strong Theo might be. 

There’s a bench just out of range, which is ultimately Theo’s destination. They settle down across from each other and Liam pulls out his phone almost automatically. Not to check for messages, but just to have something in his hands. Otherwise he’d just end up staring at Theo. That’s been the good thing about being on the road, despite how close they were sitting next to each other - Liam’s been distracted by looking out the window. Now there’s not much that can keep him from always going back to admire Theo’s face.

It doesn’t help that Theo chooses to actually start a conversation this time around. “I was gonna say the food is good despite them being idiots,” he says casually, “but I guess you knew about the latter.”

Liam understands the question behind it. “Not really. I know Scott from Lacrosse. Talked a few times, that’s all.”

“Oh damn, another jock,” Theo says with a smirk.

“Why? Are you one, too?”

Theo shakes his head. “No. Not all of us were as lucky as Scott and shook off their asthma,” he says. As he speaks, his hand reaches up to his chest almost automatically, rubbing against his shirt there. Liam wants to ask if there’s more behind it, if he should be looking out for Theo for the rest of the day, but something tells him not to mention it. Theo would probably warn him if he needed to.

“That sucks,” Liam comments. Feeling the mood somber up, he adds, “That explains why you’re rushing after the adrenaline so much, then.”

“Fuck off,” Theo says easily.

“Nope. You’re stuck with me until the end of your shift, I’ve decided.” Liam sticks out his tongue. He soon feels awkward, though, especially given the way Theo quickly looks away. “So… How do  _ you _ know Scott?”

Theo shrugs. “Elementary school. Stiles, too.” Liam guesses that must be the other guy’s name then. Nickname, at least.

“You stayed in contact while you were gone?” He guesses. 

“No,” Theo shakes his head. Liam almost expects him to go silent now, given how much he seems to hate the fact that he’s left Beacon at some point, but to his surprise, he carries on. “We kinda lost contact back then. Rekindled when I got back, though. They’ve grown a bit tighter while I was gone, but that’s been expected.”

The last sentence sounds final, and even though Liam wants to know more about that, he doesn’t ask. He’d love to reassure Theo that they probably still like him, but it’s not like he has any real clue. It’d only be empty words. So, he just asks another thing that comes to mind. “Do they own the truck?”

Theo grimaces at that - thought not negatively or anything, but simply like he’s unsure what to answer. “You never know with Stiles,” he says cryptically. “But he claims it’s theirs, yeah.”

Liam raises his eyebrows. “What, he’s a thief?” He snorts. “And then he resorts to selling  _ burritos _ ?”

“No, it’s--” Theo lets out a small groan, not sure how to explain. “Words don’t really do Stiles justice,” he says then. “Really, he’s… an enigma, to say the least. Scott’s easier to describe.”

“ _ Sunshine puppy on cheerful drugs _ ?” Liam tries.

And Theo actually  _ laughs _ , but only for the briefest of moments. It’s enough for Liam to absorb the sound and file it away under  _ Definitely Wanna Hear Again _ . “Sounds about right.”

“That’s how he acts during practice, anyhow.” 

“I wouldn’t know,” Theo says, sounding a bit snappy. He gets up again and looks down at Liam. From down there, with the sun behind him, he looks like the silhouette of something supernatural. “I’ll go check how long they’ll take. You want something to drink?”

“Oh. Uh, a coke?”

Theo nods and turns to go then, just like in the van without any kind of comment. Which makes sense, given that he doesn’t even leave Liam’s field of view. He gets the full picture of Theo leaning against the high counter of the food truck, stretching his arms and tightening his shirt against his body. Yup, there’s definitely some nice muscles hidden there.

Liam watches as Theo talks to Stiles, both of them energetic in their own ways. Stiles’s gestures a lot, Liam notes, where Theo’s insistence is written in his face and, from what he’s heard so far, words. They’re not arguing exactly, but it’s intense. He even catches them both looking over at him a few times, but that’s no surprise to him. Theo probably has to explain why he’s bringing someone along when he’s supposed to be working on his own.

He actually looks like he’s about to just turn around and head back to Liam a few times, but Stiles always manages to make him stay by saying something. That he manages so easily makes him wonder if they’re closer than Theo thinks. Soon enough, though, Stiles reaches for the fridge and puts down two bottles in front of Theo, who dutifully hands over a few bills. As if it was choreographed, Scott comes up with the food next.

Liam’s already halfway up from his seat to help when he sees that Theo balances it all almost professionally. He even manages to throw another comment over his shoulder, which is answered with a groan from Stiles and laughter from Scott.

“Here we go,” Theo announces when he’s back at the table, putting down the paper plates. 

Despite the warnings he’s heard from him, Liam thinks it smells quite nice. Damn, he hadn’t even registered how hungry he is. “Thanks,” he answers, reaching for the napkins Theo brought along. Better to have one ready.

Theo acknowledges it by opening his bottle for him, which is pretty nice. His manners don’t seem to extend to wishing someone to enjoy their meal. He simply starts eating. Liam guesses you can only have so much.

When he tastes his burrito, he finds that Theo hadn’t been wrong before. It really isn’t the best thing he’s ever eaten - definitely not worth how good it smells - but it’s not too bad either. He won’t comment on it, even if Theo’d done it before; there’s a difference between you talking shit about your friends and a stranger doing it. The most important thing is that it fixes his hunger, so that’s achieved.

Still, just eating without talking seems a bit random, so Liam asks, “Is this your usual lunch spot?”

“Why?” Theo makes between two bites. “You wanna stalk me?”

Liam fights the urge to kick him under the table. All in all, his therapist would be proud if he told her about today. So many opportunities, and yet he hasn’t beat up Theo yet. That’s a win. Anyway, he settles for an eye roll.

Theo smirks. “They only opened this week, actually,” he tells him. “So, please, tell your friends. And if they come here, make sure to have them mention they got here through me.” Now it’s his turn to roll his eyes. At the same time Liam’s face produces the most confused expression. “They’ve been bugging me about ‘being so negative about it’ for the entirety that they planned it,” Theo explains.

Liam snorts. “Not a fan?”

“I’m the realistic party,” he insists. “You know, the one who gets to say ‘I told you so’ when it’s over. Lord knows what they’ve gotten into their heads when I was gone--”

“So you’re looking out for them? That’s sweet.”

Theo looks like he’s been insulted, which, given the circumstances, is more than funny. “No,” he barks. “I don’t care if they screw up. I just know they’d somehow manage to pull me into it.”

His words may sound rude and egoistic, but Liam can hear the fondness in them. It’s the way he talks about Brett, for example, not like he’d ever admit to it. Something just tells him that  _ if _ Scott and Stiles got into trouble, Theo would be the first in line to get them out of it. “Sure,” Liam grins.

His teasing goes through, apparently, because Theo lets out a good-natured scoff and picks up his food again. 

Liam does the same, feeling satisfied about something that’s not his stomach going full. It’s more that he feels like he’s just unlocked at least one secret of Theo’s.

-

Liam had no idea you could spend so much time driving through Beacon Hills, but apparently it’s bigger than he ever thought. There’s, as established, corners of the town that only he knows his way around between the two of them, then some streets they both know perfectly well, and even some that Liam had no clue existed. He keeps off with any directions unless Theo is obviously lost or asks, though, so there’s no way he would know the difference between the latter two. There could have been an actual chance that Theo  _ would _ finally kick him out if he noticed Liam does  _ not _ know all of Beacon like the back of his hand.

Or at least he thought so. To his surprise, though, Theo doesn’t even really show any sign of  _ annoyance  _ when they end up in a neighbourhood they both aren’t familiar with. He’s still insisted that they don’t use a GPS but declared they’d go old school and  _ look _ for the way. Liam’s slowly begun to wonder if Theo’s an anti-technology type. Hell, for all he knows, he could be a crazy conspiracy theorist.

All in all, it’s actually not as disastrous as Liam would have expected. Sure, Theo gets a little annoyed when Liam’s directions pile up. Even though he’s already admitted to not knowing his way anymore sometimes, and accepted Liam’s help without creating a big fuzzm it doesn’t mean that he  _ likes _ it. It’s as if every reminder of Beacon having changed without having asked Theo for permission first is a slap in the face for him. 

Somehow, though, they manage. There’s tension, sue, but with just one dumb comment it’s pretty much disappeared again. Talking to Theo isn’t just  _ interesting _ , it’s fun, too. 

And he  _ does _ keep his eye on the speed limit signs now, ensuring that Theo doesn’t start speeding again. For some reason, though, he doesn’t even have to remind him a single time.

It’s comfortable, the way they switch between casual conversation and teasing almost minute to minute. Liam doesn’t uncover any deep and buried stories in Theo’s heart any more, but he also doesn't find himself chasing after them either. The whole thing just… flows.

At some point, though, Theo comes back from handing out a package and declares, “So, that was the last one.”

Liam’s pretty sure that he doesn’t just fantasize about the hint of sadness in his voice and face, so he feels free to echo it. “Oh?”

“Yep,” Theo makes, popping the P. He doesn’t look at Liam as he starts the van again. “I’ll take you home. Where to?”

“Oh, you don’t have--” With his luck, Theo probably lives at the other end of town and would only get home whenever. That’d suck after a whole day of work; at least it would piss off Liam to no end.

“No, I do,” Theo insists. From the sound of it, he won’t accept any resistance. “Liam, it’s the  _ least _ I could do.”

That’s probably as much of him agreeing that he  _ did _ invite him along as Liam’ll ever get. He bites his lip nonetheless, even though the words that tumble out between them are, “Okay. I, uh, live on Maple Street.”

Theo lets out something like a small squeak. Which is adorable, but also weird as hell.

Liam’s head snaps around almost automatically.

“Figures,” is all Theo says.

“Something… wrong with that?” Liam inquires. He knows that it’s one of the better neighborhoods, yeah, but it’s not like he lives in a villa or anything. But he’s also noticed Theo’s dislike for replacing rural areas with apartment blocks… Shit, did his street use to be fields, too? 

Theo still doesn’t look at him. And he hesitates. “Just… I guess I’ve seen you around,” he says then.

“So you  _ do _ admit to almost running me over!”

Theo’s mouth curls into a smile. “No, I simply drove past you.”

“So not,” Liam insists. But he can’t help but smile, too. It’s like Theo’s got magic powers of projecting his many moods, even when they make no damn sense.

He doesn’t have to tell Theo where to go, which means he can think about… well, just about anything. Everything. Today. People often tell Liam that he’s too impulsive, and that nothing good can come from it. And yeah, he usually has to agree. His IED gets the best of him more often than not. It almost managed to do it again today, but somehow that turned into the better.

He doesn’t just mean the good feeling about helping something but the fact that he’s met  _ Theo _ . One day is probably a little too early to say something like actually  _ liking _ him but… they’ve been getting along, he dares to say. And he certainly wouldn’t mind helping him out again - there’s no way that Theo will remember all these directions after hearing them  _ once _ . And he’ll probably have other streets to drive to as well. There's literally no guarantee that he would find  _ anything _ the next time he’s on the road.

Really, it would be almost selfless of Liam to offer joining him again. A community service, so to speak.

Though, knowing Theo… maybe he should surprise him. If Theo knew about his plans, he’d probably decline and wouldn’t stop at any place where he could encounter Liam, because he’s a stubborn bastard who needs to be forced into accepting help.

Yeah, doing it pretty much like today is probably the best option.

… Oh  _ shit _ , is he being creepy? He doesn’t want to, like, be a stalker or anything. Maybe he should really think about his intentions first before diving into anything that could end up in a disaster. Or him in jail. He still doesn’t even know if Theo likes guys, that rainbow sticker be damned.

He should definitely make sense of his own thoughts first and  _ slowly _ figure out the rest then. Mason - and Corey, too, probably - will help him with that strategy plan. He just needs to make sure Vrett won’t hear anything of that because there’s a 99% chance that he’ll ruin the whole thing before anything even  _ happens _ .

With that thought in mind, he concentrates on the street again. Maybe it’s just his imagination, but Theo seems to drive even slower than before now, almost like he  _ doesn’t _ want to get Liam to his home despite his insistence. It  _ is _ probably just Liam’s mind running wild, though.

They definitely  _ do _ move and before Liam knows it, they’re turning into his street. He can barely bite back the wistful sigh at that realization. 

To his surprise, he doesn’t even have to tell Theo when to stop the car. A part of Liam had already wondered if that would have been clever at all, given that you aren’t supposed to hand out your address to random people and, while they have spent pretty much the whole day together, Theo is still nothing more than a stranger. Somehow. It doesn’t feel like this to Liam anymore, but he knows that it should. Probably. It’s confusing. Anyway, he still has no guarantee that Theo wouldn’t break into his house at night and murder him for hijacking his work day like this, so he’d thought about making him stop at a different house and to walk back to his own then.

That’s out of the question now that Theo’s pulled up right in front of his house. How the everloving fuck he’s known to stop here, Liam doesn’t known. 

Theo isn’t looking at him, though. You’d think he’d be wearing that expectant look, just waiting for Liam to finally climb out of the van, but no. His eyes are fixed on Liam’s house, actually, which is confusing. And the fact that there’s something akin to a longing expression stitched into his features only adds to that feeling. 

“Hey,” Liam makes softly, reaching over to put a hand on Theo’s lower arm, “you okay?”

It takes just a second until Theo pretty much  _ literally _ shakes himself out of his stupor. “Sorry,” he says quickly. “That’s just… Anyway, what’s your house number?” He asks, the key already turning as he speaks. 

Liam frowns at him. “Um,” he starts, jabbing his thumb out into the direction of his house. “ _ That’s _ where I live.”

Theo’s face… just falls at that. Not into a negative, but just… completely. Liam wouldn’t be able to name that expression even if you put a gun to his head. It’s like that sentence shocked Theo so much he just lost all control over his face. Then, slowly, he closes his eyes. “Of course,” he breathes, and his mouth quirks - into both a smile and a pout, like it can’t decide what to do.

That doesn’t freak Liam out per se, but it’s… irking him. That’s a freaking crazy reaction, actually, and he kinda worried about what might have caused this. “Yeah…” He begins. “So, what’s up with that?” He wants to know, fumbling with the hem of his sleeve.

Finally, Theo’s face settles on a smile. Or maybe a grin. Liam can’t really distinguish between them yet, because they both look so foreign on Theo’s face, and at the same time like they just wait for an opportunity to jump onto it. All in all, a sense of amusement comes through. “ _ I _ used to live here,” he declares.

Now Liam’s mouth falls open in surprise. “No way.” He breathes. That’s some kind of coincidence. He’d guessed that they’d just barely missed each other, that his coming to Beacon and Theo’s moving away must have been pretty close to one another, but damn. He lives in Theo’s old home? That’s crazy as hell.

Apparently, Theo must be thinking along the same lines, because he looks like he wants to say something, but stays quiet. Liam can definitely relate. He has no idea how to react. Like, what do you even say?  _ That’s funny _ ! doesn’t really cut it when Theo misses his old life so clearly. 

He’s always been kind of impulsive, though - hence the whole IED thing, he guesses - so once the thought crosses his mind, Liam offers, “Uh, do you… wanna come inside?” When Theo doesn’t answer right away, he elaborates, “I just mean… like, you could look how it changed and stuff. We didn’t, like, rebuild anything or whatever, but-- I don’t know, maybe you’d like to see it again. It’s a dumb thought.”

He has no clue if he’s gotten better at reading Theo or if he just projects his own wishes onto him, but he feels like the guy is about to agree. In what’s been true Theo fashion today, though, he hesitates once more. “I-- I shouldn’t intrude.”

“You wouldn’t!” Liam insists quickly. “Seriously, my mom loves having guests. She’ll probably whip up a cake before you even closed the door behind yourself.” That must have hit a wrong chord with Theo, though, because he flinches a little bit, and Liam hurries to add, “You don’t have to, of course. Just thought that maybe… maybe you’d like that.”

Again, Theo hesitates. He’s licking his lip and looks back up to the house - he hadn’t even looked at Liam during this conversation, but kept his eyes fixed on the wheel before him. “Which room is yours?” He asks suddenly, surprising Liam.

“The small one on the right,” he states. “The other is a guest room. My parents have the big one, of course.” 

Theo nods.

“Which one was yours?” Liam asks before his courage leaves him. He has no idea how Theo would take it if his old room were suddenly unused. Would he be offended? Or glad that nobody is taking his space? As far as Liam knows, both could be the case, depending on which mood Theo is in this exact second.

It’s a good one, apparently, because Theo snorts. “The one on the right,” he echoes, finally looking at Liam. There’s a gleam in his eyes, only adding to the amusement in his smirk. 

It’s contagious, to say the least. Liam’s face echoes the grin almost automatically. “I feel like we were  _ meant  _ to meet, man,” he says before he can stop himself. It’s a cheesy thought and definitely not something to mention after a few hours of talking to a guy. 

Theo’s grin doesn’t falter, though, even when Liam’s face feels like it must be on fire. “Why, I thought you hated that I almost ran you over,” he replies, his voice using a tone at the last words that’s probably supposed to sound like Liam. It doesn’t. It’s much more whiny and higher than his voice could ever be, thank you very much.

“So you admit to it?” Liam counters triumphantly.

“In your dreams.”

They stay like that for a few moments, goofily grinning at each other like someone’s hit a pause button, until it gets awkward. Then, Liam asks again. “So, do you--?”

He cuts himself off when Theo shakes his head. “No,” he says simply. His expression is more serious now, and he looks up to the house again. Liam wonders what he sees there. How much it changed - he doesn’t feel like there would be all that much, but Liam has grown together with the differences that established themselves. He probably didn’t even realize because he was there as they happened; Theo’s hit with the full before-and-after picture. 

“Alright,” he tells him, unsure what else to add. The entire day, he hadn’t even thought about how they’d say goodbye, even with where his fantasies ran. He’d love to see Theo again, but it hadn’t even crossed his mind to figure out how to achieve that. It’s just something his mind thought was a given. And given their track record and Theo’s work, there’s a chance they’d run into each other again. It still doesn’t make this less awkward, though.

Theo interrupts his thought process, though. “I’m not the kinda guy who goes home with someone on the first date,” he says, mischief back in place. 

It takes Liam a moment to put it together, too caught up in his own worries. He feels his cheeks flare up again, but his mouth moves on its own accord. “That  _ wasn’t _ a date.”

Theo raises an eyebrow. “I drove you around and paid for your food,” he says. “Sounds like a date to me.”

“You have a weird idea of a date,” Liam laughs. Then, feeling bold, he adds, “Do I need to show you what a real one is like?”

“Is that a threat or an invitation?” Theo wants to know.

“Both,” Liam decides. He’s never backed down from a challenge, and this one sounds like an awesome one. Fighting the urge to throw his fist in the air - Theo does like guys! - he holds out his hand and orders, “Give me your phone.”

Theo obliges without hesitation, which is, like, the most positive reaction he could have hoped for. Liam feels the corner of the sticker where it curls up scratching against his hand while he types in his number, which only adds to his satisfaction.

“Here.” He hands it back, Theo’s fingertips brushing against his knuckles for a second. “We can text about the details.”

“That would definitely save us from you crying about my driving,” Theo nods.

Liam gasps for air. “You  _ do _ drive horribly!” He insists. “Seriously, maybe I should come with you again tomorrow, just to make sure you don’t drive over anyone.”

“And here I thought we established that you are my favourite victim,” Theo comments dryly. At Liam’s splutter, he throws in a wink, too. It only adds to Liam’s lifelong thesis that the act of winking should be forbidden - especially for pretty people.

“Sure,” he nods, trying to make his voice sound normal. Finally, he reaches for the door. “Okay, I should-- I mean, you’ve worked the whole day and you probably wanna get home--”

Theo stops him by putting a hand on his thigh for the briefest of moments. He pulls back as quickly again, once he’s sure he has Liam’s attention, which is probably for the better. “I just realized that I… I didn’t say thank you yet. For your help,” he clarifies. “So… yeah. Thanks.”

There’s no comment about him sneaking into the van this time around, which surprises Liam a little. He won’t be the one to bring it up, though. So, instead, he says, “Of course.” And after another second, he adds, “You can properly thank me at the second date, then. That’ll be your turn.”

“Third date,” Theo corrects almost automatically, grin in place. “Sounds like a deal.”

“Good,” Liam nods. Then he finally pushes open the door. It still feels a little random and awkward to just leave like that, but he doesn’t know what else to do. And the excitement about planning a date - no,  _ multiple _ \- with Theo keeps it from being too bad. He climbs out and turns to Theo again, simply saying, “Well, then. See ya.”

Theo mock-salutes at him. “See ya,” he echoes. Again, his eyes move up to the house and Liam wonders how long it will take until he’ll take up the offer to head inside. He hopes that whatever this turns into will take on for long enough that he feels ready for that; it seems like he’d need that, eventually. When he looks back at Liam, there’s a content smile on Theo’s face, though. “I’ll text you.”

“You better.” Then Liam throws the door closed and steps back.

Theo doesn’t hesitate to drive off at a speed that is  _ absolutely _ above the speed limit, Liam can see that, no matter what he’ll ultimately tell him. And weirdly enough, he doesn’t mind it this time around. The earlier Theo’s at home, the earlier he’ll text him.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope y'all are having the best of times, whether you celebrate Christmas or not! (Also, you might read this only in 5 months or something, so whatever...)
> 
>  **Please leave a comment!**  
>  If you liked this, come check out my [tumblr](http://joanthangroff.tumblr.com) or talk to me on [twitter](http://twitter.com/raphaelsantjago).


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